Tempest of Vengeance (11 page)

“Now I know why you’re so temperamental,” I
joked. “Too many acid trips.”

Devlin laughed, and I knew he had to be a
little high, that he wasn’t irritated. But who knew how many he’d
smoked before I came in?

“You forget how old we are,” Lash said
absently. “I remember when cigarettes were first introduced. They
were the cure all for everything, made you concentrate better, made
you relax, made you sexy, made you healthy. Everyone had one in
their hand for years, in the movies, everyone—”

“Drugs were thought of the same way, in the
early sixties,” Devlin said, nostalgia in his voice. “Men have
always used them, for religious ceremonies though time. It’s only
recently that everyone says they are bad.”

“It’s the use of them when people are
driving—” I began carefully.

“Sar, either smoke with us or get out,” Lash
said, taking another drag. “You’re detracting from my good
time.”

Prick.
But it was true they weren’t
hurting anyone except themselves...

“Come lay by me, Sar,” Devlin said gently.
“Lash is right, he needs us not to talk, to relax. And I don’t want
you to leave really, and neither does he.”

I debated leaving, but decided I wanted to
stay. I wanted company. “Not a word about this to Theoron or Elle,”
I said, crawling over to lay beside Devlin, who put his arm around
me. Neither of them answered me, but I didn’t expect them to.

I lay there for a while, none of us saying
anything. Then I fell asleep.

When I woke up, nothing had changed. Lash and
Devlin were still smoking, but the pile of joints had diminished
considerably. I looked at my watch, and saw it was only about
seven. I’d only been out for thirty minutes or so. But I was
feeling some effects now, from breathing in the smoke.

Devlin finished his joint, and turned to me,
pulling me close. “My sweet little queen,” he crooned. “Let me have
just a little.”

I knew I wasn’t getting out of this room with
all the blood I’d come in with no matter what, so I tilted my head,
baring my neck to him. I was thankful for the drug now. It would
dull the pain a little.

Devlin sank his fangs into me, and began
groaning almost immediately, his body moving against mine. He held
me passionately against him, his hands running over my body,
caressing me as he swallowed me down. He stopped drinking from me
in a few seconds, and in a moment, he had healed me. With a low
long moan, he rolled over on his back.

I looked over at him, watching him. Devlin
seemed to be utterly happy. He lay there, his lips parted, his eyes
closed, sighing over and over, his body moving very slowly,
stretching and contracting languorously. I looked over Devlin’s
form to Lash, locking eyes with him.

“You did him in now,” Lash said, smiling
widely. “He’s feeling ten times the effects I am, getting it
through your blood.”

The way he said it, I wondered if he wanted
some of my blood. But I was still irritated with him over the
remark about ruining his good time, and so I didn’t offer.

“Good,” I said, reaching out to touch Devlin
tenderly. “He’s been through hell with you and me, and Danial and
everything else these last few weeks. He deserves to have a break
from the pain of losing so much.”

Lash finished his joint, and I was surprised
to see it was the next to last one. Either he smoked fast, or I was
higher than I thought I was, to have lost time and not realized it.
He lit the last one, and took a drag. “I’m surprised you aren’t
saying he brought it on himself,” Lash said, not looking at me. “Or
that I did. That I deserved to be in jail, for all the people I’d
killed.”

I knew his question wasn’t offhand, as it
appeared. He wanted to know if I judged him for what he did.

“I know you’ve looked through the files, and
seen some of what I’ve done. Even though there is nothing in there
about what was done, I’m sure you can guess what ‘demolition’
really means—”

“Yes,” I said as fast as I could, not wanting
to hear any details.

“I have two to do this week,” Lash said in a
too-casual voice, still not looking at me. “How does it make you
feel, knowing that about me?”

“How does it make you feel, doing it?” I said
back to him in that same too-casual voice, wishing he’d just cut
the bullshit.

“I don’t feel one way or the other about it.
It’s just a job, one I have a lot of skill with,” Lash said with a
sigh. “This is what I do, Sar, who I am. Who I’ve been. And who I
need to be.”

The silence stretched.Was he looking for my
approval? What did he want me to say?

“Maybe neither of you should’ve done some of
what you did in your lives,” I said finally. “But I care about you
both, and knowing what you and he do, and have done in the past
doesn’t change that. It gives me pain to see Devlin crying over
Danial, and to see you like I did, handcuffed, being held against
your will behind glass and iron bars.”

Lash didn’t look at me. “That’s why I didn’t
want you to come back,” he said, taking a drag. “But Gina gave me
the cookies, and meat dishes you cooked, when she came to see me
every day—”

Was this a dig at me, telling me he’d had her
every day? I’d ignore it.

“—
I wanted to thank you for that,” Lash
said quietly, his eyes still averted. “It was nice of you. It meant
a lot, that you bothered to do it.”

“You’re welcome.”

Lash looked over at me finally, considered
something, and offered me the joint.

“No thanks,” I said, giving him a smile. “I’m
high enough already.”

Lash leaned over Devlin and studied me. “You
aren’t that high,” he said flatly, laying back. “But I need it more
than you, so I’m glad not to share it.”

I thought about telling him to smoke
something stronger, to improve his personality, but decided it was
not a good idea to push him in his current mood. Devlin was still
sighing beside me, and moaning. I decided then and there I’d had
enough. I got up very slowly, drawing Lash’s attention again. “I’m
going to get something to eat. I’m starting to feel dizzy in here.
Do you want me to make extra, so there’s some for you?”

“Whatever is easiest,” Lash said, looking
back up at the ceiling. “Don’t put yourself out for me. You’ve done
that enough.”

I nodded and left.
Wouldn’t want to do
that, no sir.

Rip was still outside the door standing
guard, and he reached out to steady me a little as I exited. He
also shut the door behind me, as I was having trouble gripping the
knob. “Sarelle, maybe you should stand here for a bit?” he rumbled,
his voice a little concerned.

“I’m going to go shower, and eat something,”
I managed to reply. “Are you going to be here? Devlin’s
wasted.”

Rip nodded. “I have instructions to watch the
door until they both are done, and able to walk.”

Devlin, always thinking of everything. Or was
that Danial? I couldn’t remember. “What’s the story with your
name?” I said bluntly, looking up at Rip with my squinting,
watering eyes.

Rip looked at me and laughed. “Rip is for
‘Rest In Peace.’ Titus and I were summoned...well, got out of Hell
about seven hundred years ago. I was only out for a few days, and
got sent back by a Catholic priest who told me I was going to burn
in Hell. Like I hadn’t been burning for the last three hundred
years? Demons can’t BE burned, we’re already flame temperature
naturally—”

This is interesting.
I tried to
concentrate.

“—
so, that seemed to set up some kind
of pattern. Titus has been out for the last seven hundred years.
He’s never been sent back to Hell once, not ever. But I’ve been
sent back almost every decade at least. And I hate it, that my
little brother’s always bailing me out. But I’m glad he does,
because Hell sucks. And I’m glad that he’s been out this whole
time, and not had to go back—”

“What the hell does this have to do with your
nickname?” I said bluntly.

Rip looked at me and laughed. “Because when a
priest says the banishing spell, or when a demon hunter catches you
in a pentagram, or any faith based religion is used to send me back
to Hell, the rite always ends with ‘Rest in Peace.’ And even when
it doesn’t, these righteous assholes always feel compelled to say
it to me, as if they are killing me. I’m a demon, I don’t fucking
die! And as if anyone ever rests peacefully in Hell who is dead
anyway—”

I didn’t like where this was heading. I
didn’t want to think about Hell, as sometimes lately I thought I
might end up there. But the thought instantly gave my fogged mine
clarity, something I was grateful for. “Thanks for telling me. And
for protecting my family.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t do a better job,” Rip
said, a single tear slipping down his face to evaporate on his skin
before it fell. “Danial’s still unconscious.”

I put my hand on his arm, and was instantly
sweating. “It was his fault too, for insisting on going to his
meetings. You gave your earthly body trying to save him. What more
could you do?”

“Nothing,” Rip admitted. “I did everything I
could. But I still wish it hadn’t ended as it had.”

“Theoron is okay, he’s all healed, and
running his father’s business with Terian and—”

“I’m sorry,” Rip interrupted. “I heard about
that, too.”

“Thanks,” I said, and pulled back from him,
my hair was plastered to my forehead. Rip had a lot less control
over his body temperature than his brother had, or so it seemed.
But it would be impolite to mention it.

“Sorry about that,” Rip said, eyeing me. “Go
have a nice shower in one of the guest rooms. I’ll stay here and
watch.”

The shower did wonders for me, but only
increased my hunger. I went downstairs, and fixed a box of pasta,
putting in two pounds of hamburger with the sauce. I was just
fishing out the noodles to see if they were done when Lash
appeared. He came in and peered into the pots.

“Pasta?” he said hopefully. I nodded.

He grabbed two plates, and I doled it out,
giving him the larger share as I always had to Theo. Lash covered
his with sauce, took his dish into the living room, and didn’t
return.

I was a little taken aback, but I figured
he’d needed some time alone. He’d had to eat with people for every
meal for the last month and a half. I’d want to eat alone, too, if
I were him.

I ate alone at the kitchen table, reading the
latest Vampire Hunter D book. I had agreed to Dev’s request to read
these books only here in kitchen, and to keep them out of our
bedroom. But there was no way I was going to stop reading the
series. I enjoyed it way too much.

I finished dinner, hid the book in the lower
kitchen cabinet, and went to find Lash. He was watching
A
Nightmare on Elm St., Part I
. He saw me as I lingered in the
doorway for a few moments, but ignored me. I decided he needed a
little space, so I just gathered up his dirty dishes from the
dining room table, and went to find Venus. She was just coming back
from the ballroom with Serena. Actually, Serena was carrying her,
as V was sleeping.

“She won, finally,” Serena said tiredly,
handing me Venus. “I was just coming to find you. Where’s
Devlin?”

“Lash got home today,” I said softly. “They
were spending time together.”

Serena nodded. “I have to get to bed,” she
said happily. “T is stopping by early for breakfast tomorrow.”

I was a little worried to see him spending so
much time with her. I liked Serena a lot, but T was too young to
settle down. I didn’t want him hurting her, after she’d just been
hurt by Nick, if he wasn’t serious about her. Which collectively
meant I’d have to talk to him.
Sigh.

“I’ll put her to bed,” I said, giving her a
forced smile. “Get going.”

She gave me a radiant smile, darting off in
the direction of her room.

I walked though the living room to get
upstairs, but Lash took no notice of me again, or at least appeared
not to. I carried Venus upstairs, and took off her clothes,
dressing her in her nightgown. Then I tucked her in, making sure
the blanket was covering her.

“Have good dreams,” I whispered. “You’re
safe. I love you.”

I closed her door, and went into Devlin’s
bedroom. Devlin was lying on the bed, still smelling of smoke,
passed out asleep. I debated trying to get his clothes off, and him
into bed, but decided against it. I put a nightgown on myself,
folding up the clothes I’d worn only an hour or so to wear again
tomorrow. I crawled in bed, and lay down. Even with the napping
earlier, I was tired.

I thought as I lay there that some of that
was because I felt like I could relax now. Lash was home, and I
felt truly safe for the first time in a month and a half, knowing
he was here. I fell asleep, and dreamed no dreams.

When I woke up, Devlin was missing, but I
heard the shower running, and figured he was in there. He came out
as I was getting dressed, and gave me a kiss. “Good afternoon,” he
said pleasantly.

My gaze shot to the clock.
Shit!
It
was nearly two! Venus needed me! I made to bolt for the kitchen,
but Dev grabbed hold of me.

“Relax,” he said, his golden eyes concerned.
“You needed to sleep, so Lash fed your dogs, and Serena fed the
cats. She’s with Venus, I heard them in the kitchen a little while
ago, having lunch.”

I took a deep breath, trying to force myself
to calm down.

Devlin sat me down on the bed, then sat
beside me. “Sar, Lash is going to be a little different for a
while, until he gets used to being home again. Don’t be surprised
if he’s distant, or cold, or even angry. He’ll be how he was, after
some time had passed. Jail fucked him up a little.”

Had something happened to him in prison?
Had he had to kill someone inside in self-defense?
“Okay.”